Feeling the "Winter Blues?" Tips from a Teen and Family Therapist

Do you notice you or your child getting a bit down or irritable in the winter months? The lack of sunlight and not being outdoors as much due to colder temperatures can cause a change in our mood. Especially during this pandemic when we’re indoors even more.

Here are some tips from a counselor in Montgomery County, MD to make sure you and your child’s mental health are taken care of during the colder/darker months.

Be sure to have some form of movement at least 30 minutes a day.

We want to curl up and snuggle on our couch in the cold. However that limits how much we’re moving around during the day. Our bodies aren’t processing through our stresses as easily if we’re not moving. Whether that be walking the dog, yoga, dancing around the room anything that moves your body is beneficial. Even for 15 minutes during a break from class or work.

Getting outdoors is essential.

Put on all the layers and bundle up to get some of your Vitamin D. Have a snowball fight.Go for a hike, or even just walk around the block listening to a podcast. If you’re feeling comfortable and can do it safely, meet someone in your bubble for a warm tea or coffee. Having a change of scenery and fresh air daily will do wonders for you.

Cut back on the caffeine and sugar a bit.

Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? This time of year it’s easy for us to eat all the sugary goodness that comes our way. But we need to eat our veggies too. The foods we eat affect our bodies and how we feel. So if we eat only junk we tend to feel like junk.

Connecting with loved ones.

We all know the importance of this, but we need to make sure we’re zooming with quality people in our life every week. It’s more about quality than quantity. Being able to talk about real things.

If you’ve addressed all of these items and you’re still feeling blue, you might be showing depressive symptoms.

Especially if this happens around this time each year, it might be seasonal affective disorder or (SAD). Talking with a therapist can definitely help determine if this is going on for you. And it can be a helpful resource in a time like this.

If this is something you or a loved one is experiencing, please reach out to one of our therapists to help you during this time.